The creative flow has inspired my life as far back as I can remember, expressed early through theatre and poetry. I was born, raised, and artistically nurtured in the downtown arts community of St. John's, Newfoundland. I studied Sociology and English at Memorial University while exploring theatre, visual arts, writing, and percussion in the vibrant community. In 1997, at the age of 21, I travelled to India on a Canada World Youth cultural exchange. I spent four months living in the village of Vaso, in the western province of Gujarat. I was immensely inspired by India's traditions of quality craftsmanship, and I left the country fuelled with a desire to find my way towards a creative life. I decided to travel west to British Columbia, and by serendipitous chance found myself sharing a home with lampworking glassblowers.

I was incited with a passionate inspiration by the infinite creative possibilities and beautiful light effects that made possible lampworking borosilicate glass. I began an apprenticeship with another glassblower, and devoted myself to the craft with an inspired vision of infusing my hands with the capacity to create beautiful glass.

Lampworking borosilicate glass involves using a torch flame fuelled by an oxygen/propane gas mix to heat the glass freehand to the melting point, where it can be shaped, designed, and blown in a wide variety of specific techniques. Once completed, glass pieces are annealed in a kiln. Molten glass is flexible like taffy, requiring careful and precise hand motions. The alchemical colour palette allows for some wonderful hues and striations of shade. Borosilicate glass is especially good to work with as it is generally free of inclusions which offers a refined clarity while its increased hardness makes it highly resistant to breakage.

The momentum involved in the process is ever exciting and challenging and the classic beauty of glass is enduringly enchanting, gifting my life with a connective creative expression; an allure that constantly pulls me to the studio. Each piece holds the momentum of its molten process and is an expression of the singularity of time within creation; a sense of the 'world in a grain of sand'. Even consistent lines and series have subtle differences to make them one-of-a-kind, and its a beautiful connection to meet people with my work.Whether I'm making small drops or large custom sculptural work, the passion for the glass' process is present and magical, and is conveyed within the pieces themselves.

My work is available throughout Canada at select galleries such as Side Street Studio.

About Side Street Studio

The story of Side Street Studio is more than the history
of a business. It is the physical expression of a belief
that real art should be accessible to everyone. It is
also the evolution of a business model supported by
principles of community-building economics.